Shadowing Practice: 7 Conversation Starters to Build English Fluency - Learn English Speaking with Video

So, you're at a conference, a workdo or a party, and you're meeting new people, speaking in English.

But what do you say?

Well, let me show you some effective conversation starters that will build your English fluency.

Hello, it's Keith from the Keith Speaking Academy.

Now, starting conversations, is tough.

in your own language.

In English, even tougher.

The important thing to remember is what you say will depend on your personality,

on the situation where you are and your relationship, if any, with the other person, right?

So as I give you these seven conversation starters, do think about adapting.

to your personality and your situation, okay?

The big question is for me, how do you balance Comfort and curiosity.

so that you're comfortable and they're comfortable, but you're also curious finding things out.

How do you balance being polite with being interested.

or being nosy.

I love nosy.

To be nosy, right, is you want to find things out about them.

How do you balance all of those?

And most importantly, How do we ask questions that people can answer and want to answer?

because when they want to answer, that's where the change happens.

So how do we do this?

First, create warmth.

Second, Invite little stories, anecdotes.

get people to talk about themselves.

People love talking about their life experiences, their hobbies, their plans, entertainment.

So we create warmth and we get them talking about these things.

So in this video, I'm going to show you seven effective conversation starters.

And at the end, I'll give you some practical tips on how to use these in your day to day life.

Are you ready?

Let's dive in with number one.

One.

Number one, what have you been up to lately?

For pronunciation, well, actually the meaning first.

So what have you been up to means what have you been doing lately?

Pronunciation, what -of.

you, been up to, been up to, Lately.

Stress the what and the up.

What have you been up to lately?

Now this is great because first of all, it's not a yes /no question.

Yes /no questions are not good generally, right?

Are you busy at work?

Yeah?

Okay, not great.

So question word questions, how, when, which, why are better, but be careful with how, How questions are not great, right?

How's work?

Yeah, okay.

How are the family?

Yeah, they're fine.

How was your weekend?

You know, the usual.

Not great.

What questions Give the opportunity to tell a little story, give you more information.

"What have you been up to lately?" "Oh, I've been working on this new project.

"It's quite interesting, actually." There's more opportunity there.

And the great thing is this could be about work, Family?

A hobby?

What have you been up to lately?

Well, I've been writing some new songs.

I play the guitar, actually, and sing.

out comes a little story.

Very, very nice.

Let's move on to number two.

Okay, number two: What are you busy with at the moment?

Now, as I said at the start, this Depends a bit on your relationship and the setting.

This is probably not going to be your first question when you meet somebody.

But it's a really nice question because it can be about work, family, hobbies and so on.

Right.

What are you busy with at the moment?

Well, actually, I'm going on holiday next week.

I'm trying to book the flights at the moment.

It could be about anything.

You could say, what are you working on at the moment?

But that's specifically for work.

So if you want to keep it more general, what are you busy with?

busy with.

at the moment.

Very nice.

Next one.

Have you read anything interesting lately?

Now this is nice, but again, probably not your first question and you want to think about the setting.

If you're having coffee, great.

Or you're in a library, perfect.

Or at somebody's home for dinner and you can see some books on the bookshelf, you can use the prop.

"Oh, very interesting, lots of books.

"Have you read anything interesting lately?" And then stories come out.

This is, it reminds me of the IELTS speaking test, actually, where the examiner says, "Describe a book that you found interesting?

Or tell me about a time you read an interesting book.

Now, of course, this is not an interview.

It's social networking, right?

So, you want to be a bit more natural, yeah?

Have you read anything interesting?

"Lately, have you read anything good lately?" The great thing with this is it's adaptable to lots of different situations.

Have you seen any good films lately?

Have you seen any interesting films lately?

Have you seen any good TV programmes lately?

If you're at a conference, have you heard any good talks today?

Or if you're having dinner, have you tried any interesting food lately?

Have you tried any new recipes?

Have you been to any good restaurants?

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All of these are giving a chance to give little stories and talk about things that make Everybody comfortable but curious.

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So that's number three.

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Think about the context.

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Try it out.

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Let's move on.

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Number four, what's been the highlight of your week

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so far? okay the highlight is the high light is the most interesting moment okay what has been

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because it's so far this week so what has been what's been what's been the highlight Emphasise highlight.

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What's been the highlight of your week so far?

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And this is great because it could be socially, It could be family.

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It could be...

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It could be work, right?

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Different contexts will work.

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Again, it's probably not the first question.

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This is something you would say after you've built some rapport.

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To build rapport means to build the relationship a little bit create some warmth a little bit.

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And then you're kind of digging deeper, right?

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What's been the highlight of your week so far?

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It's nice because it's adaptable.

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You can say, well, what's been the highlight of your day so far?

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What's been the highlight of this conference for you?

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What's been the highlight of this party?

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Or if you get really deep, what's been the highlight of your career so far?

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Very adaptable, very nice, digging a bit deeper.

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Let's move on.

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What brings you here today?

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So here I'm thinking of events.

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If you're attending, a party, a wedding, or a conference, or, I don't know, going to an art gallery where there's an event,

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whatever it may be, there's a reason you're going to the event.

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So instead of saying, why are you here?

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Which sounds like a police person, a policeman, or a police woman, what brings you here today?

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Oh, well, because I know the main speaker.

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She's a friend of mine and she invited me to come along.

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So you find out a bit of background about the person, right?

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What brings you here today?

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So very useful to discover more information about the person you're speaking to.

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Now, let me emphasize at events, I think it's perfectly fine for your first conversation starter to be,

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"How are you?" Okay?

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Have you seen those videos on YouTube that say, Never, never say, "How are you?" when you meet somebody.

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Never, never say, "What do you do?" "Well, I'm sorry, but..." Why not?

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That's what we say all the time.

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It makes everybody comfortable.

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Yes, it's automatic.

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Yes, it's short, but it leads in.

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very nicely to next deeper questions.

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How are you?

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I'm fine, thanks.

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What do you do?

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I'm a teacher.

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Oh, right.

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That's interesting.

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And what brings you here today?

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Oh, well, and on and on and on.

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Absolutely fine.

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So ignore social media.

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Well, don't ignore me.

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Ignore everybody else.

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Right?

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And That's it.

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What brings you here today?

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I wonder, let me know in the comments.

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But for now, let's move on to number six.

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Number six, what do you think of the food here?

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And this is probably at an event again, right?

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Whether it's a conference or a party.

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And again, the idea of using props, physical things.

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So if you're having some finger food or having dinner, Just make sure you're not speaking to the host.

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You can say, you know, what do you think of the food here?

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There's a direct connection.

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It's a comfortable question.

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But it also leads into lots of differences.

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"What do you think of the food here?" "Well, I like the fish." "Well, it's interesting, in my country, "we don't cook fish like this.

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"We have a similar dish, but..." And suddenly the diversity of different people's backgrounds, especially internationally, can come in.

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And food is one of those things most people like to talk about, It's neutral, it's fairly safe.

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Just be careful about speaking to the host.

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Right.

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So it's great.

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Now, You can also adapt this at a party or a social event.

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What do you think of the music here?

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- Yeah.

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What do you think of the speakers?

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Yeah, I don't mean the loudspeaker.

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I mean the people talking at the conference.

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What do you think of the speakers here?

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Oh, that one I saw earlier was really good.

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Oh, really?

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Okay.

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So what do you think of the food here?

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On English speaking success.

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There is no food.

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In that case, let's move on to the next one.

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Number seven.

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What are you working on at the moment?

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What are you?

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What are you?

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What are you working on at the moment?

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This will be for work events, meetings, work networking, that kind of situation, right?

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But again, you're inviting the person to talk about a project they're doing, something of interest to them, and they can talk about it.

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Now, the thing with this is you sometimes end up speaking to somebody and you don't understand what

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and it's technical detail and they think everybody understands, but they don't.

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And they're like, well, yes, last week we did an SPU.

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And the PIP didn't come out very, very well.

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But after that, the ABW, well, it didn't quite work.

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So we went. And I'm like...

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ABW?

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and you feel, "I should know what that is." But I don't, so I won't ask any more questions.

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So it doesn't really work, right?

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So in order to avoid that, I've seen some very intelligent,

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high level managers use this technique and they say,

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"What are you working on?" or "Tell me about your job." "Explain it to me like I'm five years old." And that's great.

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Because it makes you feel that they really want to understand you.

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but also it helps you understand, so you're more likely to then ask a follow -up question.

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It's genius.

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Explain it to me like I'm five years old.

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Most native English speakers will get this, because that's quite a common expression, explain it to me like I'm five.

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But it's absolutely brilliant.

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And it just helps that conversation.

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And what happens then is you can follow up.

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And that leads me into tips, practical tips to help you with these conversation starters.

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The first one is follow up.

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Conversation, there's a clue in the word.

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It's not just listening, it's you following up when they've said something.

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So you should be saying, well, you should, you can say things like, "Oh, really?" Oh, that's interesting.

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Oh, why did that happen?

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Did you enjoy that?

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What happened next?

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Do you think you'll do it again?

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Whatever it may be, that follow -up is really key.

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The second tip is to use this formula.

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Share, then ask.

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But The problem with many conversations is it's question, answer, question, answer, question, answer.

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And it's like pulling teeth.

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come on, speak, and the other person feels like you're pulling teeth, they don't want to speak.

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Share and then ask.

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Say something about you and then say, what about you?

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I What about you?

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Yeah.

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We're at a conference.

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This is my first time here.

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I feel a bit nervous actually.

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What about you?

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Right?

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And then you...

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express your feeling.

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So that sharing and then asking a question, what about you?

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It's really, really nice.

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So there you have seven effective conversational starters and some practical tips to help you.

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Next step, download the PDF to get these conversation starters and some more on different situations for socialising,

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for work, for family, all to help you build your English fluency.

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By the way, if you've enjoyed this video, please.

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video, in addition to subscribing to the channel, you can also now join my YouTube channel,

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become a member, become a Keythean and get access to extra videos on IELTS speaking,

252

English fluency tips and also behind the scenes look at my life and my thoughts.

253

Hmm.

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I do think sometimes. So join.

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Just go to the links in the description below.

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You can click and join the YouTube channel for the price of a cup of coffee each month valuable investment.

257

That's it for today.

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Take care now.

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Bye bye.

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will learn effective conversation starters to enhance your English fluency during social interactions. We'll focus on how to create warmth and encourage little stories from others, which can greatly improve your speaking skills. These techniques are invaluable in various settings—whether at a conference, party, or work event. By practicing these starters, you'll gain confidence in initiating conversations and engaging with others in English.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

What have you been up to lately? - A great way to inquire about someone's recent activities.
Create warmth - The act of making others feel comfortable during conversations.
Little stories - Short anecdotes that invite others to share their experiences.
Curiosity - A desire to learn more about someone, which can help maintain engaging conversations.
Comfort and curiosity - A balance necessary to keep a conversation friendly and interesting.
Nosy - An informal term implying an eagerness to find out more about someone's life.
Question words - Words used to ask open-ended questions (who, what, when, where, why).
Anecdotes - Brief and interesting stories or accounts told in conversation.

Practice Tips

To effectively use these conversation starters in your English speaking practice, consider integrating shadowing techniques. One effective method is to utilize shadowing apps or websites that allow you to listen and repeat phrases at your own pace. Start by focusing on the speaker's intonation and rhythm, paying attention to the key vocabulary introduced, such as "What have you been up to lately?"

When shadowing, begin slowly and gradually increase your speed to match the original speaker's tone. This will help you adapt to the normal pace of conversation. Remember, the goal isn’t just to mimic the words but to embody the warmth and curiosity that make conversations engaging.

Additionally, practice with a friend or language partner using IELTS speaking practice questions. Encourage them to share personal anecdotes and respond using the conversation starters. This will develop your confidence while enhancing your conversational skills.

By regularly engaging in these practices, you'll find it easier to approach new conversations, enrich your vocabulary, and improve your overall fluency.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on	I've been working · I've been writing
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	has been · you've built · I've seen
Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea	should know · should be
Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain	may be

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

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About This Lesson

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

Practice Tips

Grammar in this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?